Sometimes the drugs used to stop the tumor growth stops responding to treatment and no other treatment options are available or the patient has chosen not to seek further treatment for their disease.  If those situations occur there are other ways to control physical and emotional pain associated with incurable lung cancer.

Hospice is a type of care received in the final stages of life.  Their philosophy emphasizes caring, not curing.  The goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible during their last days.  Hospice is usually called upon when life expectancy is six months or less.  The quality of life in hospice is more important than the length of time the patient has left.

End-of-life care offered by Hospice provides physical, mental, and emotional comfort, as well as social support, to people who are living with and dying of advanced lung cancer.  Oftentimes people who have already discussed their wishes for end of life care with their loved ones feel less stress at the end of their life and so do their families.

The care that Hospice provides includes a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, aides, counselors, spiritual caregivers and volunteers.  They provide support to the patient and their family and caregiver.  These services are covered by Medicare and most health insurance plans.

References:
Hospice Foundation of America at www.hospicefoundation.org
National Cancer Institute at www.nci.org

Resources:
www.hospicefoundation.org  Hospice is a national organization providing end-of-life care resources for professionals, patients, families, and caregivers.